Category: Chemistry/Chemical Engineering

Our research effort is focused on asthma. It is a complex disease, composed of an early-phase asthma and a late-phase asthma triggered by the infiltration of eosinophils in the lung. 5-Oxo-ETE is a potent eosinophil chemotactic factor and may be responsible for eosinophil accumulation in the lungs. We’ve designed and synthesized 2 excellent 5-oxo-ETE receptor antagonists that may prevent eosinophil recruitment into the lungs and provide a novel approach to asthma therapy, We have received recognition from the American Asthma Foundation with funding for the next 3 years of $750,000

This project seeks to develop strategies for the synthesis of very strong, well-defined soluble Lewis acids. Our current approach utilizes low-coordinate cationic organoaluminum compounds, which have been shown to catalyze hydrosilylation, hydroamination and carbon dioxide reduction.

The ultimate test for new and prototype antifouling formulations is to subject them to biofouling in the marine environment. This research is funded by the Office of Naval Research to maintain a static immersion test site with specialized testing capabilities that provides a better understanding of the mechanisms by which non-stick and fouling-release surfaces function.

Dr. Jonathan Whitlow and the Florida Institute of Technology through a subcontract from QNA will support work at Kennedy Space Center. Bench scale studies will be carried out for the evaluation of ion exchange resins. Through the generation of breakthrough curves the mass transfer zone can be calculated to size and cost absorption columns in order to evaluate the process for application in space exploration.

This three-year research project based at Florida Tech will investigate the educational benefits of students performing simulated chemistry laboratory experiments in the 3D, immersive, virtual world of Second Life (SL). Students enrolled in General Chemistry I Laboratory at Texas A&M University will participate in this study. Some students will complete several weeks of lab activities in Second Life while other students complete similar experiments in a real laboratory. These virtual experiments will be realistic, fully interactive simulations of their real-world analogues.

The Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) is supporting 26 academically talented transfer students with financial need who are majoring in chemical, civil, and ocean engineering through this S-STEM project. Three cohorts of transfer students from community colleges and four-year state colleges that do not offer engineering degrees are supported through scholarships, early mentoring, and other academic and career support activities.

Florida Tech's nanotechnology minor program is the only one worldwide to have more than 6 credits of lab course experience and will soon be summarized in nanotechnology's first ever lab manual. The Journal of Nano Education is based at Florida Tech.

General Chemistry students perform interdisciplinary, multi-week lab modules which are based on current research conducted at Florida Tech. Project results show that students increase their confidence and abilities to perform research and also increase their appreciation for chemistry. We observe these benefits for men and women, science and engineering majors and U.S. and international students.

Oxygen-enriched combustion (OEC) has shown the ability to improve the fuel efficiency and power density of burner-based power systems and diesel engines. By minimizing problems with flame quenching, OEC is also expected to greatly improve the performance of MEMS-based micro-combustors needed for micro-power generation. Oxygen-enriched micro-combustors have the potential for compatibility with logistics fuels and of eliminating the need for expensive catalysts. If successful, these devices would represent a significant improvement over existing micro-combustors.

Retinal Synthesis using deuterium in various sites to study the visual process by photophysical nuclear magnetic techniques. The deuterium will take the place of hydrogen atoms in the five different CH3 groups on the 11-cis-retinal. Irradiation with light will result in the conformational change of the deuterated molecule leading to a change in the NMR signal. The NMR data can be extrapolated for informational detail on conformational change.

This study seeks to bridge the gap between experimental methodology utilizing bulk material and results obtained through theoretical computations. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is used to study the electronic and geometric properties of potent anti-parasitical alkaloids that have displayed efficacy against a wide range of diseases that include malaria and tuberculosis. Because STM allows for the analyses of single molecules at the sub-molecular level, we can gain insight into mechanism(s) of interaction of these compounds with potential receptors at the molecular level.

This project applies an interdisciplinary approach to curriculum development to create courses, lecture modules and laboratory experiments related to hydrogen and fuel cells. Project assessment will determine the effectiveness of the laboratory curriculum. Classes improved by this project will provide public and private sectors with skilled employees and researchers in hydrogen technology. The hydrogen-based curriculum will further the student understanding of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and offer undergraduate and graduate students a career path into renewable energy.